Bury

Housing tenure in Bury changed substantially in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion and health.

The population reached nearly 190,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Bury increased by 2.5%, from just under 181,000 to 185,000.

The addition of just under 4,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Bury was home to, on average, 13 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Bury.

The percentage of households in Bury that rented privately increased from 6.7% in 2001 to 14% in 2011.

In 2011, just over one in seven (15%) households lived in social housing, compared with 16% in 2001. The percentage of Bury households that owner their home decreased from 75% to 70%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Bury increased by 7.1 percentage points

Percentage of households in Bury, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Bury

The number of people in Bury that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 18,000 in 2001 to about 34,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 10% to 19% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the North West (from 10% to 20%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Bury that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 130,000 in 2001 to about 120,000 in 2011 (from 74% to 63%). The number of people who described themselves as Muslim increased from about 6,800 to just over 11,000 (from 3.7% to 6.1%).

About 11,000 people (6.7%) did not state their religion, down from just over 12,000 in 2001 (6.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Bury increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Bury by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Bury residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.9% to 5.9% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 68% in 2001. The percentage of Bury residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Bury decreased by 4.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Bury, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Bury

The number of people in Bury from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 7,900 in 2001 to just over 13,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 4.4% to 7.2% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the North West (from 3.8% to 6.2%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Bury from the White ethnic groups remained close to 170,000 between the last two censuses (from 94% to 89% of the population). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 2,000 to about 3,400 (from 1.1% to 1.8%).

Just under 1,900 people (0.5%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 860 in 2001 (1.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Bury increased by 2.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Bury by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More people living alone

The percentage of single-person households increased in Bury at a faster rate than across England.

In Bury, the proportion of single-person households increased from 29% in 2001 to 31% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 30% to 30%.

Across the North West, the share of single-person households increased from 31% to 32%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Bury increased from 8.7% to 10%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 39% to 34%.

The percentage of households with only a single-person was lower than across the North West

Percentage of households that that comprised only a single person across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

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Area report data

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